Feed mechanism



F. E. KLING.

FEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-5, 1918.

1 ,3'70,593, Patented Mar. 8, 1921 2 SHEETSSHEET I- INYENTOR 55 K 5 hisflxfvrmsy vin'rm-fssss F. E. KLING.

FEED MECHANISM.

APPmATION FILED JAN-5,1918.

1,370,593, Patented Mar. 8,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEE1 21 UNITED STATES FRED E. KLING, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

FEED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921..

Application filed January 5, 1918. Serial No. 210,511.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED E. KLING, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Youngstown, in the county ofMahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the construction of feed mechanism for handlingfinely divided solids, and while not restricted to such use, moreparticularly relates to apparatus for feeding pulverulent fuel, such ascoal to burners using powdered fuel.

The object of this invention is to provide a feeder having novel meanswhereby powdered materials are handled and distributed in conveying suchmaterials from a place of storage to a place of use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a powdered fuel feederhaving improved means whereby the fuel is mechanically fed to anduniformly distributed within a combustion chamber in which the fuel isburned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a feeder for powdered fuelconstructed and arranged to mechanically distribute and discharge thepowdered fuel into a gaseous conveying medium such as a flowing streamof air and to deliver the fuel laden conducting medium to the combustionchamber in which the mixture is burned.

A further object' of this invention is to provide av feed mechanismhaving novel means for regulating and controlling the volume anddistribution of powdered fuel fed into operative engagement with aflowing stream of gaseous fluid forming the conveying media for thefuel.

A still further object of my invention is the provision in apowdered'fuel burner of a fuel feeding mechanism having the novelconstructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts, shown in thedrawings, to be described in detail hereinafter, and to be particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation, showing a feeding anddistributing mechanism embodying the novel features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly'in section and partly broken away, ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section and partly broken away, showingconstructional details of portions of the apparatus illustrated in Figs; 1 and 2.

F ig. 4 is a sectional end elevation, on a larger scale, showing detailsin the construction of the mechanically operating feeding anddistributing mechanism forming a novel feature of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings. the numeral 2 designates the lower end ofan overhead storage bin having a series of bottom discharge openings 3.The bin is conveniently supported upon horizontal channel beams 4-4:which are separated so as to form continuations of the side walls 5, 5of the bin. Partitions 6, which are triangular in cross-section, extendbetween the webs of the channel beams at to form inclined wallsdefining-the ends of the se ries of bottom discharge openings 3 in thestorage bin.

Secured to the channel beams 4L, 4 below each of the bin dischargeopenings 3, is a depending hopper 7, having a flanged bin inlet end 8and flanged outlet end 9, this hopper being rectangular in cross sectionand tapering from an intermediate point in its height to the outlet end9 of the hopper. The outlet end 9 of the hopper forms a horizontallywide vertically narrow discharge outlet which is provided with a flangedoutlet extension 10 bolted or otherwise removably secured to the flange11 of the hopper.

The hopper 7 is dividedtransversely into upper and lower sectionsforming a storage chamber 12 and distributingchamber 13,

and rotatably mounted in the hopper is a fluted drum 17, shown locatedat the junction of the upper and lower sections of the hopper 7 theabutting flanges 15, 16 of the hopper sections being bolted together.

The periphery of the drum 17 is provided with a series of longitudinalflutes 14, and the rotary shaft 18 for the drum is secured in suitablebearings which are conveniently formed in the abutting flanged ends ofthe sections 12, 13 of the hopper 7. The shafts 18 of'adjoining hoppers7 are connected by a coupling 19, and one end of the shaft 18 is adaptedto be connected to a suitable prime mover (not "shown). This prime movermay and preferably will be a variable speed motor.

The lower end of the upper section of the screen 20 is semi-circular incross section,-

being curved so that its inner surface has a radius the same or slightlygreater than the radius of the outer surface of the flutes 14 on thedrum 17. The screen 20 forms a perforated housing for the drum l7 belowthe horizontal axis of the drum through which the comniinuted fuelpasses into the delivery or distributing chamber 13.

Secured within the distributing chamber 13 of the hopper so as to beconcentric with the transversely curved screen 20, is a movable slide22, this slide being movable through an are about the horizontal .axisof the drum 17. The slide 22 is pivotally connected by a link 23 to theswinging end of a lever 24, within the distributing chamber of thehopper, and the lever 24 is keyed or otherwise fastened to a shaft 25which is mounted in bearings formed in the side walls of the lowersection of the hopper 7. A swinging lever 26, fastened to theoverhanging end of the shaft 25, which projects through the side wall ofthe hopper, forms a convenient means for turning the slide 22 to adjustit so as to cover the desired amount of the screen 20','an'd in this wayregulate and'control the volume of powdered fuel fed from the storagechambers 1.2 into the distributing chambers 13 by the action of theflutes on the rotating drums 17.

It will be understood that the drum 17, screen 20, and slide 22 have acommon axis (as shown in. Figs. 1 and 4), being coaxially arranged so asto allow for free movement, one relative to the other. between the drum17 and slide 22.

Opening into the distributing chamber 13 of the hopper 7 at the rearvend thereof is an air inlet 27 which is adapted to be connected to asource of air under pressure. This source of air supply may be a motordriven fan, blower or similar apparatus. (Not shown). The air inletforms means for supplying a thin, fiat stream of air under pressurewhich flows through the distributing chamber 13 in the direction of itsoutlet.

In front of the discharge end of the distributing chamber 13 is a fuelinlet 28 leading to the combustion chamber of a furnace, this inletbeing built in the wall 29 of the furnace opening into its combustionchamber at a suitable elevation.

A conduit 30, which, as shown, is made of sheet steel and which isrectangular in cross section, has one end telescoped within thecombustion chamber inlet, its other end being telescoped over the outerend of the extension 10 on the outlet end of the hopper.

Latches 31 hinged .atone end on the conduit 30 and bent at the other endto form hooks, engage with the flange on the outlet ofthe hopper todetachably hold the conduit 30 in erected position, the conduitinclining outwardly and downwardly and being arranged to telescopewithin the combustion chamber inlet 28 in removing and replacing theconduit in operative position.

In the operation of my improved feeder the overhead bin 2 and storagechamber 12 of the hoppers are filled with finely divided fuel. and theair supply inlet 27 is connected to the distributing chamber 13 of thehopper, in the manner shown.

The driving motor is started so as to positively rotate the fluted drum14, and the curved slide 22 on the lower side of the screen orperforated plate 20 in the hopper is adjusted manually to permit thedesired amount of 'the pulverized, fuel to fall through the perforationsin the screen into the stream of air flowing through the distributinghopper 13. i

The flutes 14 in the drum 17 will carry definite amounts of powderedfuel from the body of fuel in the storage chamber 12 and move the fuelover the surface of the screen '20 so as to distribute fuel uniformlyover the width of the screen and discharge it into the stream of airpassing throu h the distributing chamber. The air owing through thedistributing chamber acts as a carrier and transfers the powdered fuelmixed with it within the chamber 13 into and through the conduit 30 andcombustion chamber inlet 28- into the furnace combustion chamber. \Vhenfound necessary or desirable, in order to properly support combustion inthe furnace combustion chamber, more air may be supplied to thecombustion chamber and added to the mixture of air and powdered fuelentering the combustion chamber.

The above described operations are then continued as long as the burneris in use. The overhead storage bin, of course, being kept supplied withpowdered fuel, and the air supply being maintained to provide air underpressure to the distributing chamber.

The supply of powdered fuel passing into the distributing chamber isregulated and controlled. as found necessary, by changing the speed ofthe variable speed driving .motor and by suitable adjustment of thepassing into the distributing chamber is mixed with and carried throughthe distributing chamber by the stream of air, as has been described.

The advantages of my invention, which will be apparent to those skilledin the art, arise from the provision of the novel means whereby thepowdered fuel is introduced and uniformly distributed within the flowingstream of air used as a carrier for the powdered fuel.

Modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of partsforming my improved feeder, may be made without departing from myinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

Vvhile the apparatus shown shows a plurality of hoppers connected to asingle storage bin of large capacity, it will be obvious that whenconditions require. a separate storage bin may be employed with eachhopper, or the size of each individual hopper increased and the storagebin dispensed with. Although the apparatus shown is applied for use witha powdered fuel burner for a metal heating furnace, the invention isapplicable to powdered fuel burners used on other apparatus.

I claim:

1. A feed mechanism comprising a hopper, said hop er tapering for atleast part of the lengti thereof. a transversely curved semi-circularscreen adapted to separate said hopper into storage and deliverychambers. said delivery chamber having an outlet chamber, a rotatabledrum having a fluted periphery and arranged coaxially with relation tosaid screen, said delivery chamber being provided with an outlet and afluid pressure inlet, said inlet being arranged to deliver a stream ofgaseous fluid through said delivery chamber to the outlet on saiddelivery chamber, means for rotating said drum to transfer solidmaterials from the storage chamber to the delivery chamber and deliversaid materials into the flowing stream of gaseous fluid within thedelivery chamber, and adjustable means for regulating the volume ofsolid material discharged by said drum into said hopper outlet.

2. A feed mechanism comprising a hopper, said hopper tapering for atleast part of its length, a transversely curved semi-circular screenseparating said hopper into storage and delivery chambers, a rotatabledrum coaxially arranged with relation to said curved screen and having a{fluted periphery, an outlet on said delivery chamber, means arranged tocausea stream of gaseous fluid to flow through said delivery chamber andthrough said outlet, means for rotating said drum to transfer solidmaterials from the storage chamber through the screen into the flowingstream of gaseous fluid within the delivery chamber, an adjustable slidecoaxially arranged with relation to said screen, and means for adjustingsaid slide to regulate the, passage of solid materials through saidscreen.

3. A powdered fuel feeding mechanism comprising a hopper having anoutlet, said hopper tapering toward its outletend for at least part ofits length, a transversely curved semi-circular screen separatin saidhopper into storage and delivery chambers, a rotatable drum coaxiallyarranged with relation to said transversely curved screen and having afluted periphery, means opening into said delivery chamber arranged tocause a stream of gaseous fluid'to flow into and through said outlet,means for'rotating said drum to transfer powdered fuel from said storagechamber into the stream of flowing gaseous fluid within the deliverychamber, and a slide adjust-ably mounted in front of and concentric withsaid screen.

4. A powdered fuel feeding mechanism comprising a hopper having anoutlet, said hopper tapering toward its outlet end for at least part ofits length. a transversely curved semi-circular screen separating saidhopper into storage and delivery chambers, a rotatable'drum ,coaxiallyarranged with relation to said transversely curved screen and having afluted periphery, means arranged to cause a stream of gaseous fluid toflow through said, delivery chamber into said outlet, means for rotatingsaid drum to transfer powdered fuel from. the storage chamber throughthe screen into the flowing stream of gaseous fluid within the deliverychamber, and an adjustable slide coaxiallyv arranged with relation tosaid screen, means for adjusting said slide to regulate the passage ofpowdered fuel through said screen.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED E. KLING.

